Built-up girder-rail



(No Model.)

A. J. MOXHAM.

BUILT-UP GIRDEB RAIL.

No. 317,665. Patented May 12, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. MOXHAM, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUILT-UP GlRDER-RAlL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 317,665, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed December 10, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. MOXHAM, of Johnstown, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Built-Up Girder-Rail for Street- Oars, which invention or improvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to convert ordinary flat tram-rails into girder-rails by a simple, cheap, and efficient construction, as hereinafter described.

The invention consists of the combinations of parts as set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a built-up girder-rail having a center bearing tram-head. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. l, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a built up girder-rail having a side bearing tram-head, the angle-pieces, being shown uncut. Fig. 4 shows in cross-section of rail and web, a modification of the built-up structures shown in thepreceding figures.

In said figures, the letter A indicates the head of the rail or tram-rail proper; B, a plain flat bar of iron or steel. 0 0 indicate channel-bars or angle-bars forming both head and foot pieces; D D, intermediate angle-pieces under the head of the rail; E E rivets, and T T cross-ties in track.

In Figure 2 at w x the channel-bars are divided, so as to show two abutting angle-bars; but in Fig. 4 the angle-bars do not abut, but leave spaces between, asat g) y, the space below the vertical webbar B being filled in, as at S, with either a wooden or iron strip or filling-piece. Instead of filling-strips socketbolts may be used, the sockets taking the place of such strips. It is evident the depth of the structure may be thus increased by the addition of only a trifling weight of material. The structure as thus built up, it can be readily seen, becomes a girder-rail provided at suitable intervals with lower flanges or lugs for securing the same to the cross-ties of the track by spikes t in the ordinary manner. Said structure is cheaper than a girder-rail rolled solid with angles and channels of usual shapes, the economy in construction consisting in the saving of metal, the structure being much lighter per lineal foot or yard, while preserving adequate strength and stiffness. There is also great facility afforded for making rails of varying depths or greater depths, where, as is often the case in street-railroads, it is desired to sink the cross-ties to a considerable depth below the surface of the street. A very convenient size of fiat bar iron for the part B is flat bar of four inches width or depth by fivesiXteenths of an inch in thickness, and the ordinary holes provided for due insertion of spikes through the tram-head or rails A for spiking the same to the cross-ties, can be utilized for the purpose of riveting the built-up girder-stringers to said rails, as shown by the rivets at E.

Having thus fully described my said improvement in rails as of my invention, I claim- 1. A built-up girder-rail consisting of a tram-head or rail devoid of web, a flat bar serving as a web or stringer therefor, and angle-head and foot-pieces disposed at suitable intervals, the whole riveted together and forming a built-up girder structure, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A built-up girder-rail, consisting of a tram-head or rail devoid of web, a flat bar serving as a web or stringer therefor, angle head and foot pieces disposed at suitable intervals, and intermediate angle-pieces under the head of the rail, the whole riveted together and forming a builtnp girder structure, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

A. J. MOXHAM.

\Vitnesses:

A. G. PFEIFER, T. O. COLEMAN. 

